Country code United Kingdom, +44 or 0044?
There are two spellings for the United Kingdom area code, namely +44 and 0044. Which area code do you have to use? What is the difference between the two country codes for United Kingdom and what are the different versions for?
The country code of United Kingdom that starts with a “+” (i.e. +44) is the so-called international code (international spelling). It is primarily used in the mobile communications sector. Most cell phones can make an international call to the United Kingdom using the +44 area code. This applies to almost every country in the world.
Unfortunately, there are phones (especially older models) that do not support the international spelling. The UK area code with leading zeros (0044) is then used on these phones. The leading zeros are also referred to as the so-called traffic elimination number. When you call, they indicate that it is an international call.
Problem: access code and area code 0044
In fact, the 0044 variant is used for calls to the United Kingdom, especially in Europe. In other countries of the world, the international code 0044 will not work. Example: In the USA, international calls to the United Kingdom start with 011. So an international call here starts with the area code 01144.
Conclusion
For calls to the United Kingdom you can always use the country code 0044. In other countries, the two leading zeros must be replaced by a different access code. The international dialing code (+44) for the United Kingdom works in all countries in the world. However, it is not supported in all networks and by all telephone devices.
Example of phone calls to United Kingdom
To illustrate the use of the United Kingdom’s international dialing code (+44 or 0044), here is another example:
You want to call the UK number 456789 with the area code 0123. In this case you can use the following numbers:
0044 123 456789
If you are using a mobile phone, the following notation also applies worldwide:
+44 123 456789